Wrist watch



Feb. 2, 1937. LAZRUS 2,069,453

WRIST WATCH Filed July 31, 1936 Benjamin La rus BY WW,

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 2, 1937 PATENT OFFICE WRIST WATCH Benjamin Lazrus, Lawrence, N. Y., aulgnor to Burma Manufacturing Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 31, 1936, Serial No. 93,548

7 Claims.

This invention relates to wrist watches and more particularly to wrist watches of the oblong curved type.

The primary object of my invention is to generally improve wrist watches of the oblong curved type. A more particular object resides in the provision of such a wrist watch which is exceedingly thin in appearance and yet which employs an oblong watch movement of conventional type and thickness.

By way of explanation of the invention, I may preliminarily remark that a. wrist watch case which is made straight or flat, that is, without longitudinal curvature to conform to the curvature of the wrist, may be made relatively thin when using a thin oblong movement. However, when the case is curved to conform to the wrist, the case becomes comparatively thick, more so than might be required to house the movement were it not for the curvature of the top and bottom s'uriacesof the case. This is so because the movement is straight, not curved, and the top of the case is elevated in order to clear the ends of the movement, while the bottom of the case is lowered in order that its center or highest point may clear the bottom of the movement.

It is possible to design a case which is curved at the top and flat over the entire bottom area of the case, but such a case, while thin at the ends, is thick in the middle and does not conform at all to the shape of the wrist.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a case which has a curved top and a curved bottom which are close together and which produce the 85 appearance of an exceedingly thin watch case.

The bottom. of the case, however, is depressed at its central portion for a limited area approximately equal to the bottom area of the movement to be received in the case. This limited depressed area is merely a flattened area the ends of which merge smoothly into the curved end portions of the bottom of the case. It is important to recognize that the resulting well or flattened portion is substantially smaller than the case, not only in a longitudinal direction but also in a transverse direction, thus leaving edge portions which are exposed to the eye when the case is worn and which are very thin. Because of its limited area, the flattened portion or well readily sinks into the flesh of the wrist, and the curved end and marginal portions of the bottom rest upon and lie flat against the wrist, just as though no well or depression were employed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing object and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the wrist watch elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

Fig. i is a side elevation of a wrist watch embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken in the plane of the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the line H of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 shows the watch in perspective.

Referring to the drawing, the wrist watch comprises a case generally designated C and an oblong movement schematically indicated in dot and dash lines and generally designated M. While the movement may be conventional and is not shown in detail, it should be understood that it is of the so-called odd shape", that is, it is oblong rather'than circular when viewed in plan. In a conventional movement, such as that here shown, the top and bottom of the movement are straight or flat, omitting from consideration, of course, the various minor irregularities which are caused by the mechanical or working parts of the movement, and also the curvature of the dial or number plate (I2 in Figs. 3 and 4) which is not truly a part of the movement although shown in broken lines in the drawing. The invention is, of course, equally applicable to a. movement having a curved top and flat bottom.

The case C comprises a bottom I and a top or cover 3. The bottom I4 is turned upwardly at its edges to form narrow flanges i8 within which is secured a support plate 20 the top of which is cut away at 22 to accurately receive and to centrally locate the movement M, and the side edges of which are turned downwardly to form a continuous peripheral flange 24 which is received within the upturned flange i8 and is brazed or otherwise secured in place, so that the bottom I and support plate 20 form a unitary member which may be referred to as the bottom of the case.

The outside periphery of flange 24 acts as a locating flange or wall to receive the depending or outside walls 26 and 28 of the cover I6. Except for the ears 30 at the ends of the case, which receive balls 32 for the ends of the wrist watch strap, the cover I may be made of a single piece of metal; The central part of the cover is cut away and depressed to undercut configuration,

as is indicated at 34, and acts as a bezel to receive a watch crystal 36. The end walls 28 are indented at 38 and cooperate with slightly undercut ends of plate 20, so as to lock the cover IO and bottom l4 tightly together with a snap engagement. The side walls 26 of the cover are, of course, curved and may be decoratively stepped, as is indicated at 40 in Figs. 1 and 4, in order to increase the desired effect of thinness. It will be understood that one side wall of the cover as well as the side of plate 20 are cut away or recessed to matingly form an aperture, generally designated 42- (Fig. 4), through which the winding stem ll of movement M passes. A conventional knurled handle 46 is mounted at the end of stem M. The cars may be secured to cover It by brazing, welding, or other suitable means. The bottom 14 of the case is curved in conformity to the wrist of the wearer, or is curved in;

parallel relation to the cover I8 of the case, and is spaced near the cover, as will be evident from inspection of Fig. 1, thus creating an appearance of "extreme thinness for the case. In fact, the curved top and bottom are spaced nearer than would be permitted by the dimensions of the movement M. However, a limited area W of the bottom is flattened, this area being located immediately beneath the movement and functionin to receive the flat bottom portion of the movement. In a sense, it may be said that a part of the bottom is depressed to form. what I term, for convenience, a well" which receives the movement. This well or flattened area W is smaller than the bottom of the case, not only longitudinally but, equally importantly, transversely, thus leaving substantial marginal portions 50 as well as end portions 52 which are curved in conformit'y to the wrist and which give the case the desired thin appearance.

Q The ends of the flattened portion W merge smoothly into the curved end portions 52, as will be evident from inspection of Fig. 1 or Fig. 3. When the wrist watch is worn, the flattened portion W sinks into the fleshy part of the wrist and is concealed from view, for the case rests on the curved marginal and end portions and substantially conforms to the curvature of the wrist. The desired thin appearance is obtained not only when the wrist watch is worn but even when removed from the wrist, for while the well W may be seen in true side elevation, as in Fig. 1, it disappears from view the moment the case is turned slightly so as to show a part of the top surface or face, as is indicated in Fig. 5.

It is believed that the construction as well as the many advantages of my improved wrist watch, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, many changes and modifications may bemade in the structure disclosed, particularly as regards the design, appearance, and assembly, and other details of the watch case, without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wrist watch case which is oblong when viewed in plan and providedwith ears at the ends for attachment of a wrist watch strap, the top surface of said case being curved to conform to the wrist, the bottom surface being similarly curved and spaced from the top surface by a relatively small amount in order to produce a thin case, the bottom of the case being flattened at its central portion for a limited area approximately equal to the bottom of the movement to be received in said case, the ends of the flattened portion merging smoothly into the curved end a portions of the bottom of the easel.

versely but being of suitable width to receive an oblong watch movement to be used with the case, and means on the ends of the case to receive the ends'of a wrist band, said means being so located that the curved bottom of the case tends to rest on the wrist of the wearer.

3. A wrist watch case which is oblong when viewed in plan and provided with means at the ends for attachment of a wrist watch strap, the top of said case being curved to conform to the wrist, the bottom being similarly curved and spaced from the top by a relatively small amount in order to produce a thin case, said bottom being provided with a flat well or depression which is limited in area to the size of an oblong watch movement to be received in the case, said well being oblong in shape and substantially smaller than the case both longitudinally and transversely but being of suitable dimension to receive the said oblong movement.

4.A wrist watch comprising an oblong movement having a flat bottom, and an oblong case to receive said movement, said case having a top surface which is curved to conform to the wrist, and a bottom surface which is similarly curved and which is spaced from the top surface by only a small distance in order to produce the appearance of an exceedingly thin case, the spacing being too small to receive the movement were the entire bottom surface of the case curved, the bottom of the case being flattened at its central portion only for a limited oblong area approximately equal to the bottom of the movement, and means on the ends of the case to receive the ends of a wrist band, said means being so located that the curved bottom surface of the case tends to rest on the wrist of the wearer.

5. A wrist watch comprising an oblong movement having a flat bottom, and an oblong case to receive said movement, said case having a top surface which is curved to conform to the wrist, and a bottom surface which is similarly curved and which is spaced from the top surface by only a small distance in order to produce the appearance of an exceedingly thin case, the spacing being too small to receive the movement were the entire bottom surface of the case curved, the

bottom of the case being depressed at its central portion for a limited oblong area approximately equal to the bottom of the oblong movement, the

ends of the depressedportion merging smoothly into the curved end portions of the bottom of the case.

8. a wrist watch comprising an oblong movement having a flat bottom, and an oblong case to receive said movement, said case having a top which is curved to conform to the wrist and a bottom which issimilarly curved and which is spaced from. the top by only a small distance in order to produce the appearance of an exceedingly thincase, the spacing being too small to receive the movement were the entire bottom of the case curved, a part of the bottom of the case being depressed to form a well, said part being oblong in shape and substantially smaller than the dimension or the case in a transverse direction but being of such dimension as to-receive the bottom of the movement, and means on the ends of the case to receive the ends of a wrist band, said means being so located that the curved bottom of the case tends to rest on the wrist of the wearer.

7. A wrist watch comprising an oblong movement having a flat bottom, and an oblong case to receive said movement, said case having a top which is curved to conform to the wrist and a bottom which is similarly curved and which is 15 spaced from the top by only a small distance in order to produce the appearance of an exceedingly thin case, the spacing being too small to receive the movement were the entire bottom of the case curved, a part of the bottom of the case being depressed to form an oblong well, said part being substantially smaller than the dimension of the case both longitudinally and transversely and being of such dimension as to receive the bottom 01' the oblong movement, and means on the ends of the case to receive the ends of a wrist band, said means being so located that the curved bottom of the case tends to rest on the wrist of the wearer.

BENJAMIN LAZRUS. 

